St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-09-24
reconstruction and adversely exhibited

| 1ttE SAME FIDELITY
and the same love of country which wal
his in the periods to which | have re-
ferred7 In the last epoch, when tn.
people of this stat. gathered themselveI
together for d supreme effort to oyer
throw the carpet bag government. who
IS there who does not know that uDOr
his shoU idera was cast the great burden
of leadership That he took that bur
den up and bore it with gallantry and
with wisdom, and that when he laid ii
down and retired to private life, 10, the
| victory had been won; that liberty
| which had been banished from our Dor.
ders had been restored; that corruption
| which had stood IN all the Legislative
| halls had been driven out, and tnat he
| handed back unto the people of this
! state 4 government with freedom re.
! stored and reformed in every depart
| ment. Ii this picture be true--and that
! 1T Is true who Will galnsay who can
deny the great qualities OF leadership
which
GENERAL NICHOLS POSSESSES?
Indeed, my fellow citizens, it would in
| volve turning our backs upon all our
traditions If in this emergency we
would refuse to nominate General Mich
oils. In my Judgment tho very highest
attribute required by the chief eXecu-
tive Is devotion to duty Ind Il nigh and
holy regard for the interests of tie pco-
pie whose affairs he ID called to rule.
In the Legislative department OF tie
government our minds may address
themselves TO the question of what par
tlcuIar measure a candidate Will es-
p0use, of how he will vote upon this OF
that measure of public policy. The
chief executive has no legislative duties
to perform. The greatest burden Of his
responsibility results from the ap-
pointing power and from the
influence for good which he is expected
to exert by his counsel and his example
upon the public service. What greater
proof could we have, for instance. OF all
these essential qualities III Governor
Nichols than ls afforded by his life and
services winch have briefly and very
lnadequately portrayed? In all the
Nlruperatlon aud abuse which has been
heaptd upon hlm since this canvass be-
gan. no man has galnsayed his lofty
character. his courage, his fidelity to
uuiy, his devotion To his people and his |
Willingness TO CUnseCrate himself TO |
item and their service at all hazards |
and at all costs. Shall it now be SAID |
that with al these things present in the |
minds OF the people OF this state that |
tney VIII turn their franchises from |
him and elect a third termert
LADIES, TO YOU THIS QUESTION
Is of great Importance. | recolect an
Did French song which represents q
mother locking the cradle of her Sleep
nS BOY, and singing as she rocked a
lullaby. Her heart was liked upon his
uture, and as she looked adown the
years to come she saw the infant, lulled |
~ her song, meeting all the ylcissi-
5udes, the sorrow. the suffering, the
anguish and the temptations which |
no
However. with a sense OF eXultatlon,
ruth and honor and devotion to duty
lSIng to enable him to overcome them
III aid leading him onward and up
ward 10 the end of life. Oh, how shall
ou teach the boy upon whose future
our heart Is fixed the necessity of sac ,
lhce tor country, of devotion to Its |
veil being, if in the pages of its history
) 10 be written the lesson which would |
e taught by the defeat OF General
lcholls III this canVassf {
shall not pause IN what have to say
, answer The multitude of charges and
which have been poured |
at upon General Nichols head since I
ne announcement that he was q can I
ldate was made. call your attention q
, the fact that the very existence of |
lese charges, and the flmsv evidence a
pom which they are founded points | q
le moral of all the arguments and rea- J
N upon which the objection to the /
llrd term is founded. Let me, how Il
7er, take
SAMPLE OF THESE CHARGES,
hlch chameleon-llke vary with tbe y
cal1tleS IN which they are advanced. | r
me one SAID to me few days ago. | "
'ard an opponent of Governor Nichols "
one of the Creole parishes saw that .
lie was opposed to Nichols because he !,
as not Creole ~ ~
In the parishes where the Creole pop "
alton does not exist he is opposed be- y.
use he Is Creole. / know not how =,
tier TO answer the statement that II
neral Nichols is not Creole than by y,
ling your attention TO the fact that =.
5 father and grandfather before INN c -,
ed and died IN this state among this is
ople and served them well. In a con- -,
rsatlon with General Gibson some -,
,eks ago he laughingly told me an an u,
1ote which particularly went home 49,
my heart, and [ think will go home 70
yours also. General Nichols was APP o of
inted by President Cleveland one of ri
, visitors to West Point General -
bson was u member Of the board and !
;holls and himself met there Whilst til
ting together some old army comrade III
Nichols came IN and going I'D TO | ie
q putting his hand on his shoulder, of
d Hello, Johnny, how are you 7" W
he name of Johnny surprised Gener- as
5ibson, and he said why do you tn
Frank NICHOLS Johnny |, | never DO
trd him called that before" why" be
d he, General Nichols and myself | Gu
re at West Point together and the Il:
let's all had habit of giving nick BIZ
nes. When Nichols came to West Gu
Mt we thought him so much of q an
that the nickname we gave va
] WAS Johnny Crapeau." Laughter. '79
have detained you long enough ana S.
lld end my remarks here but for the De,
that there is a subject which comes
ticuiarly nome to you, and which no
been used for the purpose of i'm sol
sslng upon your minds the necessity as
to nominate Nichols and yea
urgency of renominating Governor Dol
1hery. That subject is Nit
The Levee Question. the
he followers of Governor McEnery in =,
@ urged and reurged his claims as a IRA
70 governor; have not only praised dnl
tor what he has done. but have at Nc
uted to him everything else that
'ybody else has done upon the sub
OF building leyees within this state b
9 his lncumbency in office. That anC
% claims urged by his friends are dul
,geratcd and extravagant--and in Cpl
SO much SO as to be amusing-lt is ing
LESS for me to say. Let us suppose dlsl
are all true; let US suppose-mark to
| say let us suppose, for T do NOT fac
re to be considered as making such gen
omission except by way of bypothe- con
that everything the most extrava- not
J. friend of Governor McEnery's and
d claim on this su bject were abso- cat'
y and entirely true, would this JUS sag
his denomination for third term Ina
Q we so far Forgotten the doe
,iples upon which our government lars
lit that we put our foot upon them lisa
ly because the chief execnniye has net
his duty Did not Washington do wv
uty? Did he not lead the strug- all e
armies during the revolntion2 Gov